Friday, October 18, 2024

Killer Countdown - 4/20 Massacre (2018)

 
 
Streaming Service: Amazon Prime Video
Movie Name/Year: 4/20 Massacre (2018)
Genre: Action, Horror
Length: 1h 24min
Rating: PG-13
Director: Dylan Reynolds
Writer: Dylan Reynolds
Actors: Jamie Bernadette, Vanessa Reynolds, Stacey Danger, Justine Wachsberger, Marissa Pistone, Mark Schroeder, Drew Talbert, Jim Round, James Gregory, Jim Storm
 
IMDb Blurb: Five women go camping in the woods to celebrate a friend's birthday over 4/20 weekend, but when they cross the turf of an illegal marijuana grow-operation, they must fight to survive the living nightmare.
 
 
Cat’s Point of View:
In comparison with the last couple movies in our Killer Countdown, 4/20 Massacre was a breath of fresh air – ironic for a film involving smoking weed.
 
I wouldn't go so far as to say that it was a great movie, but I didn't hate it. Sure, it fell out of the trope tree and hit all the branches on the way down to the point that I predicted the twist and outcome, but at the same time I wasn't mad about it.
 
 
4/20 Massacre definitely wasn't perfect by any means. It's squarely a B-movie, and won't be for everyone. There were bits here and there that could have been improved on – but in general it was okay. Unfortunately, in this day and age that doesn't make for a memorable movie experience.
 
What did I enjoy about a silly weed-centric movie, you ask? I thought the friend-group was done well. They played off of each other believably and I enjoyed a good bit of their back and forth banter. It reminded me about talking smack with my own friends at times. That's a sign of successful dialogue. There were some off moments here and there, however, it didn't feel forced or stilted.
 
 
Part of my favorable reaction to 4/20 Massacre could potentially be due to the familiarity of recognition for some of the cast. Jamie Bernadette (American Satan, Midnight Texas, Cold Blows the Wind), Justine Wachsberger (Now You See Me 2, The Spy Who Dumped Me, Breaking & Exiting), Stacey Danger (The Way You Look Tonight, 9-1-1, Wrong Place), and Jim Storm (Dark Shadows, The Bold and the Beautiful, The Monster Project) have all been in TV Series or movies that I've seen before. I try my best to keep each individual film compartmentalized so that prior work of the cast doesn't filter in to bias my reaction – but that never stops the inevitable “hey I've seen them before in something.”
 
 
I would have to say that 4/20 Massacre was definitely helped by their involvement in the production, as their performances were solid, for the most part and made everything work on the whole.
 
The IMDb trivia page for this movie makes it clear that this project was a love letter to the slasher genre. While it won't be topping any of the charts, so to speak, it wouldn't be a horrible choice to watch on the ganja-related holiday for those that partake. Even so, there are decidedly better picks out there within the stoner culture sub-genre. Alas, that leaves 4/20 Massacre in the limbo of not-quite spooky enough for the Halloween season and not quite baked enough for its namesake holiday.
 
Maybe give it a watch and see for yourself.
 
 
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 50%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score –32%
Metascore – None
Metacritic User Score – None
IMDB Score – 3.8/10
 
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 2.5/5
 
Movie Trailer:

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